Text Message Real Time Bus Information “Yournextbus”
Please note that this consultation has now closed. Thank you for taking part.
The outcome report can be found here as well as a report appendix here.
The information and proposals from the engagement, which took place between 20 March - 30 June 2023, can be found below.
Please note - information gathered through the engagement will inform conversations around the future of the service. No key decisions about the service will be undertaken as a result of this engagement alone, and if there are any key changes made to the service, this will be properly consulted on.
Have your say on the Text Message Real Time Bus Information “Yournextbus” service!
What is the text message real time bus information “Yournextbus” service?
Our real time bus information service has been in operation since 2003, and provides real time bus information for customers via displays at bus stations, at stops and shelters, websites, text message and third-party smartphone applications.
The real time information text message service works as follows:
- Customers send a text message to 63876 with the eight-digit bus stop number found on the bus stop flag
- They receive a returned text message with the next few buses from that stop.
- Each text message may be charged at the customer's standard outbound rate plus a maximum of 12p for each returned text by their service provider.
When the system was first introduced, the text message service was the preferred choice for customers accessing real time information using their mobile phones.
The way that people find out bus information has changed over the last ten years with customers increasingly using online options to plan their journeys, as more options became available over that time. As more customers have found it convenient to get their real time information online, demand for real time information via text message has dropped significantly. Customers are texting the service 1.3 million fewer times per year than they did ten years ago, with the majority of customers getting their live bus information via more cost-effective online services including websites and mobile applications.
The West Yorkshire Bus Information Strategy, published in 2019, set out our proposals to phase out and eventually withdraw the text messaging for real-time information in the future, as customers stop using it, and to promote the more cost-effective information via web and smartphone apps to reduce the cost for customers and to ensure that customers receive the best, most accurate, information.
How can you have your say?
We want to know your views on the text message real time bus information “Yournextbus”service and find out more about those who use the service and their awareness of or access to alternative sources of the same information.
You can share your views via any of the following:
- Complete our survey. We recommend you look at the Framework and frequently asked questions (FAQs) before you complete it. If you require a paper copy you can request one by contacting us using the details below.
- Ask a question in our Question and Answer tool.
- Email us at yourvoice@westyorks-ca.gov.uk, or
- Write to us at Freepost CONSULTATION TEAM (WYCA) no stamp required.
If you need any extra support or have a question?
If you have any questions or would like a paper copy of the survey, please get in touch via:
- Email: yourvoice@westyorks-ca.gov.uk
- Telephone: 0113 245 7676 (Metroline)
- In writing to: FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM WYCA no stamp required
